When Fates Collide
by toastyborg
Summary: Life had been so good for them in their younger years, but all it took was one event in life to make them choose different paths to one another. Saitama never used to be bad. And maybe he doesn't want to be bad anymore. But who on earth would want to try and get the strongest villain alive to change after suffering such a tragedy?
1. Hush little baby

_**-20 years ago-**_

It was warm, the faint whirring of a small fan filled the living room space downstairs where a husband and wife sat together on the couch. Despite it being late evening, it was still extremely humid. A bead of sweat rolled down the males forehead, sighing in discomfort.

As they were watching a game show on television, the heartbreaking sounds of a young child sobbing and sniffling were heard from upstairs in the family home.

"I'll go see to him, dear".

The mother of the little boy got up from her seat beside her husband and hurried up the steps to her son's room. The brunette gently peered at her child around the open door before stepping in.

"Saitama, baby, what's the matter darling?".

She padded over to his bed and sat down at his side. Lifting him from his bed covers, she then placed him gently on her lap, hugging him close, rocking him. She hated seeing her son so upset. Just seeing him cry made her want to cry too, feeling him tremble in her arms. The male sniffled again as he tried to talk, tears still rolling down his slightly plump cheeks.

"Mama, my countdown still hasn't started... Is it broken? Or do I not get to have a soulmate?".

Having just put her five year old son into bed minutes ago, the question had come rather unexpectedly to the young woman. What had made him think of it? He had asked the same question before, but the answers never seemed to appease him.

Her hazel coloured eyes glanced upon his small wrist. True enough, the countdown still read the same as the day he had been born.

 _ **-:-:-/-:-:-**_

She lightly took his wrist into her hand, lifting it gently, leaning her head down to meet it half way, pressing a kiss to where the numbers would be.

"I'm sure it will start soon, dear. It just means your soulmate hasn't been born yet. Big age gaps aren't too uncommon so there's nothing to worry about. Your father had to wait 4 years before he saw his counter start because I'm 4 years younger than he is".

The little male looked up at his mother through his black bangs with shimmering brown eyes, eyelashes dark and thick with tears.

"What do each of the marks mean again?".

"The first 3 are years, months and days, then you have hours, minutes and seconds. It's accurate right down to the second. Once you see your soulmate, you'll never want to lose them. You'll love them with every ounce of your heart, just like how daddy and I love each other".

A big bright smile grew on the boys face. He was excited to meet his soulmate. With his mother talking about love, it made him giggle.

"I hope I don't have to wait too long to meet them. I'm gonna protect them and take real good care of them, just like how daddy does for you. I'll be the best soulmate ever!".

She placed her hand on his head, stroking her son's hair affectionately before lifting him to her chest and pecking his nose, a beautiful smile at her lips.

"Sweetie, you'll be such a wonderful soulmate. You'll make them very happy, I know you will. I love you so very much".

Saitama wrapped his arms around his mothers neck, nuzzling and hugging her tight. He would definitely do his best.

"I love you too, mama".

 _ **-19 years ago-**_

"Mama! Mama!".

The little boy scrambled up from playing in the sand pit, dusting off tiny particles from his bare knees and shorts. Now 6 years of age, little Saitama panted as he dashed from the play area and over to the bench that his mother was sat on.

She heard her son calling for her as she spoke to a friend who was seated beside her on the park bench. The two females stopped their chit chat and looked up as Saitama approached them.

The little boy came to a halt at his mothers side, tugging on the hem of her skirt excitedly, a huge bright smile beaming.

"What ever's the matter, sweetheart?".

"Look! My wrist started tingling, and when I looked, the numbers appeared!".

He thrust his arm out towards her to show her his countdown. Both women leaned in to take a closer look. His mother could feel herself smiling wider as she watched the numbers ticking down.

 _ **19:3:22/2:18:44**_

Excitement swelled within her chest, happy for her little boy.

"Then that means your soulmate was just born! You're 6 years older than them, Saitama, that's so cute! Well, your official countdown has begun, dear. You get to meet your soulmate in 19 years, 3 months and 22 days, in 2 hours, 18 minutes and 9, 8, 7 seconds!".

She was terribly thrilled for her son, to see that his soulmate had just been born. It meant that someone was finally out there for him.

"They'll have the exact same numbers on as you, so they'll get to watch it count down with you somewhere. Oh Saitama, I'm so pleased for you darling! We'll have to show your father when he gets home later and celebrate! Hmm, you'll be around 25 years old when you two meet. That's a good age. Your school work won't get interrupted. I can't wait to see them! I bet they'll be perfect".

"Yeah! I'll have to write their birthday down so that I know when I meet them to take them a present as well! I'll be counting down every day!".

Seeing her little boy this happy about finally having a soulmate really made her day. She couldn't wait to tell her husband. They could rest easy that someone was now out there, just waiting for him to enter their life and vice versa. Saitama would get his happy ending.


	2. Brief encounter

_**-11 years ago-**_

The party had finished, children having dispersed to go their seperate ways home with their parents after wishing the boy happy 8th birthday and enjoying themselves for a few hours. After all, what kid couldn't resist a free lunch and a huge play area with a ball pit, giant slide, and more?

Genos sat there with his little sister while his parents sorted out the bill. Swinging his legs on the chair, he contently sipped at the remains of apple juice in his mini carton, his sister colouring in a picture of some zoo animals in her book.

He hadn't been one for much attention, but he could deal with it just for today; for his parents. He had enjoyed himself though. Seeing all of his friends and sister having fun made him happy. He hoped they could do the same again for the years ahead.

Hearing his father call for them both, he looked over at him, seeing both parents smiling.

"Come on, Aria, time to go home".

The blonde helped his sister put her crayons back into the box and closed her book, putting them into her unicorn backpack. Hopping off his chair, Aria copied him, much like younger siblings do. Once the backpack was secure on his back, he held a hand out to her. Aria took her brothers hand with a bright cheeky smile, and the two walked over to their parents, ready for their short walk home.

Little Aria idolised her brother. The 5 year old felt loved and protected. They were inseparable. Genos always found time to play with her between doing his schoolwork.

It was still warm outside, the mid-afternoon heat gushing around them as they exited the air conditioned building. The suns rays beat down relentlessly with very little shade anywhere. Though, in the shade, it offered little respite from the heat.

Stopping, Genos let his sisters hand go momentarily to take the backpack off. He didn't mind carrying the unicorn backpack for her. What were big brothers for, after all?

He crouched down and unzipped the bag. Reaching in, he sought her summer hat. Pulling it out, he then placed it on her head, not wanting her to get a sunburn. Fastening the bag up, he swung it back over his shoulders and took her hand again. The family of 4 started walking again, the two children leading the way so that they could keep watch over them.

Leaves fluttered in the warm summer breeze as they followed the path through the park. The scenery around them was so colourful. The grass a vibrant green, with vivid coloured flowers dotted all over in beautiful arrangements. Bird song and sounds of children playing filled the air, creating a pleasant atmosphere. A typical summer.

"Genos, look! A kite!".

Genos looked to where his sister was pointing, seeing a graceful red orange and yellow butterfly shaped kite, with two red ribbons trailing behind it.

"I'll buy you a kite one day, Ari. Would you like that?".

"Yeah! I want a butterfly one too!".

As she jumped up and down in excitement, her blonde pigtails swished. Genos couldn't stop the happy smile from growing. His sister meant so much to him. He would do anything for her to see her happy.

Seeing the pond up ahead, Aria tugged on Genos' hand. Not wanting to let go of her, he followed behind her, the two of them running. Their parents called out to them to be careful, knowing how excitable little Aria could get. Both adults followed at a walking pace though, keeping an eye on their children.

Aria and Genos' own pace slowed to a walk as they made it to the small bridge over the water. Both children leaned over the wooden side, which was low enough for children to be able to look down at the water. The reflection of the sun on the surface cast shimmering light on their faces. It looked so tempting to dip your toes in just to cool off some.

"Look at all the fishes, Genos! They're so pretty!".

Various sizes and colours of koi carp swam lazily in the clear water, coming to the surface for food that was being fed to them by another child a few feet away from them.

Genos remembered passing a food pellet dispenser as they stepped on to the bridge. Now that his parents had caught up to them, he turned to them.

"Mom? Dad? Can I have my pocket money early please?".

His father knew what it would be for, and the thought was sweet, so he reached into his coat pocket, pulling some coins out. He then crouched down in front of his son, holding out his hand.

"Help yourself, Genos".

It wasn't a great deal in his hand, but Genos took a few of the coins, smiling brightly as he did so.

"Thanks, dad".

The young boy enclosed the money in his hand, not wanting to lose it. He knew the value of money to his family and to look after the pennies. He felt a warm hand on his hair, ruffling his spiky blonde hair, with the sensation making him giggle.

Genos took his coins and hurried to the dispenser at the foot of the bridge, leaving Aria with their parents. Once his coins were in, he retrieved the handful of pellets and returned to his family.

Aria saw her brother walk back, seeing the pellets in his hand. She beamed at him. Genos opened his hand to her, offering her some fish food.

"Would you like to feed the fish with me, Ari? My treat".

The girl nodded her head, pigtails swishing as she did so.

"Yes please!".

She took a few pellets into her tiny hands then threw them into the water. She squealed in delight as the fish came up to swallow the food she had thrown. Genos was happy just watching his sister. He fed the koi as well, although, leaving the majority of the pellets for Aria. She took the last few pellets from her brothers hand once her supply in her hand was empty again.

Once all the food was gone, both children dusted their hands clean of any crumbs.

"Come on then, let's get you two home for some food".

Their mother, a tall, slender beautiful young woman with straight shoulder length blonde hair and hazel eyes, reached out her hand for Genos, while their father, a brunette with blue eyes, just as tall as his wife, scooped up Aria into his arms and carried her against his chest.

The family continued on their journey home, when the boy came to a stop in his tracks. His mother stopped as she felt the tug on her hand, which in turn, made their father stop too, both parents confused.

"What's the matter, Genos?".

His mothers question went unregistered momentarily as he looked at his left wrist, feeling a fluttering tingle where the numbers were. Hearing his name again, he looked up at her.

"It's tingling... I thought it only did that when my soulmate and I were to meet, but my numbers are still counting down".

"It'll tingle on the day you both meet, but it'll also happen if you're both in a certain proximity to one another. Little is know about it, as it's rarely ever heard of. Those who _have_ sought each other out have become gravely ill from what I've heard, so please, don't let it tempt you".

His father had heard of this sort of thing happening and didn't want his son to suffer from the consequences of trying to rush fate.

Immediately, Genos started to look around, his eyes wide as he scouted the area for his soulmate.

Seeing her son's reaction, his mother placed a hand on his hair to appease him.

"Genos, you won't get to see your soulmate, your time hasn't altered, see?".

Looking from his mother to his wrist, he saw the numbers upon his skin.

 _ **11:3:22/1:03:09**_

Using his fingers, he counted on them.

"11 years left, and we'll meet onnnn... September 30th. I'll have to remem-".

"HAPPY BIRTHDAAAAY!".

A loud voice came from seemingly nowhere. It was shouted so loudly that it frightened some pigeons that were pecking around nearby at some seed on the ground.

Genos had a feeling that it was his soulmate. It just had to be. If what his mother told him about them not meeting today was true, then maybe his soulmate knew of this too and just hoped that he was close enough to hear him.

Not wanting to ruin fate, he inhaled as deeply as possible, before shouting out his reply.

"THANK YOOUUU!".

Hearing his young soulmates voice had made his day, and somewhere out there, hearing the reply, it had hopefully made his soulmates day too.

Going home together with his family, Genos wrote about his day's events in his notebook, one of many entries in his many books.

That night, once he was sure that Aria was fast asleep in her bed in their shared room, the blonde quietly sneaked over to the bedroom window up, his thoughts those of his soulmate. Gazing sleepily at the stars, the moon bathing everything in its ethereal light, he whispered.

"See you soon...".


	3. Money isn't the root of all happiness

_**-4 years ago-**_

Temperatures were beginning to dip even further as the seasons were changing from Autumn to Winter. The evenings were drawing in, with the sun having just set, the clear sky transitioning from a dark blue to black, stars faintly twinkling.

A crisp breeze blew, evoking a shiver to run throughout the males body as he approached the family home, tensing, his business suit not nearly warm enough in such cold weather. One hand held his briefcase, firmly clenched around the handle, albeit rather numb, the other stuffed in his jacket pocket.

Coming to a halt outside his home, he paused as his free hand reaching out and gripped the door handle. He had to collect himself before then entering the house.

"I'm home".

The gloomy voice matched the males mood and facial expression as he stepped into the house, closing the door behind him, keeping the warmth in. Brown eyes downcast, he let out a sigh as he toed his black shoes off in the hallway, dropping his briefcase to the side by the wall with a clatter and slowly proceeded into the living room of the house.

A slightly plump female with long wavy chestnut coloured hair appeared from around the corner and greeted him with open arms as he walked in, arms wrapping around her son and pulling him into her ample bosom for a tight hug. She moved a hand up to lightly ruffle his black spiky hair affectionately.

"Welcome home, sweetheart. How'd today's interviews go?".

A mumbled response came from him as his face was firmly buried against her breasts. It was something she normally did, but also something that still caused him to flush, especially as he got older.

Having not understood what he'd said, she loosened her hold on him. Saitama took a step back from her, looking down to the side. The twenty-one year old appeared down in the dumps, hands now stuffed in his pants pockets.

"Pretty crappy. They're either after those with experience within the role already or want people fresh out of college or university. I'm just a waste of their time. I don't know what else to do..".

Seeing her son so down made her heart sink. She reached her hand out to tilt his chin up gently, giving him a tender smile. His eyes met hers and he couldn't help but smile, if only just a little in return. No matter what, his mother was always so cheerful.

"It's their loss, sweetie. There's plenty of other jobs out there. Don't give up though. You'll make us proud, no matter what you do. The right job is out there just waiting for you to find it. Besides, it's not too long before you meet your soulmate! That's another thing to look forward to in the near future".

"Thanks mom... Yeah, still got a few more years until I meet them. I doubt they'd be too interested though if their soulmate was jobless...".

"Now don't start saying things like that, Saitama".

His slightly balding father interrupted as he emerged from the kitchen, holding a cup of camomile tea, handing it to him. He knew how easily his son could slip into a depression, so the pair would do what they could to try and prevent it.

Saitama thanked his father as he took the cup in his hand, taking a sip. The liquid warmed his core as he swallowed, the male giving a hum of content. He turned his attention back to his mother upon seeing her leaning closer to him. He closed his eyes momentarily as she pressed a kiss to his cheek, leaving a faint rouge tint on his skin from her lipstick. In embarassment, he groaned and rubbed it away with his fingers. His reaction caused her to giggle.

"They'll love you no matter what. Just be yourself and they'll fall hard for you, trust me. You'll fall just as hard for them. Maybe not straight away, as these things take time, but when you do, there'll be no letting go of them. Just look at your father and I".

Saitama couldn't help but breathe another sigh. To him, love wasn't everything. It was something he could live without if he had to. And yet, deep down, he still yearned for that companionship, that his soulmate would want him and accept him.

"I hope so...".

His parents knew how he felt about the subject as he had told them a few times in the past, so his short answer signalled the end of that topic.

Saitama's father picked up the newspaper he'd placed on his seat, and sat down, going back to reading it.

"Like your mother said, don't give up. We have every faith in you in what ever you decide to do. We'll support you".

"It's really getting me down though. Maybe I'm just not cut out for another job. I've not been able to hold down a job ever since I left school. What's that telling me, huh? I'm a failure".

Saitama took another long sip of his tea, then placed the cup on the table. His parents exchanged a worried glance.

Stepping closer to the couch, Saitama removed his black suit jacket, draping it over the arm of it before then loosening and removing his tie, laying it on top of his jacket. Chilly fumbling fingers unbuttoned his top button of his shirt, sitting himself down on the floor, reclining back on his hands, legs outstretched.

"I won't stop looking though, don't worry. I want to start earning money again to help you guys out a bit more and maybe even move out".

"Sweetheart, you don't have to rush moving out. We love having you here. It wouldn't be the same without you at home. Now, get yourself warmed up and relax, alright? You've done well today. I've made some oden for tonight. I know it's your favourite".

His mother headed into the kitchen to finish preparing their dinner as he took his tea cup from the table, bringing it to his lips, relishing the taste of the warm camomile tea.

Although Saitama was almost twenty-two, he'd never had enough money to pay rent on an apartment. He didn't mind living with his parents however. He paid some utility bills and brought food for them all now and then, just to help out with what little money he possessed.

Saitama looked towards the television as he took another sip of tea, seeing an old rerun of a game show airing again. It was one of the few programmes he enjoyed watching, feeling the stresses of the day melting away.


	4. The Awakening

Silence filled the house, the family of three were fast asleep in their warm beds as it was still only the early hours of the morning. The faint tick tock of the alarm clock and his soft breathing were the only sounds in Saitama's bedroom.

As he snoozed, there was a noise steadily growing from outside. Faint tremors reverberated throughout the house every now and then. None of them noticed any of this, that is, until a loud explosion woke them all with a start, the house shaking violently. His father was the first to act, hurrying out of bed and down the stairs to go and check what made the noise.

Saitama jumped out of bed, heading to his parents room, bumping into his mother at the doorway. He grabbed her arm to steady her from falling backwards.

"What the hell's going on?".

His mother wasn't any the wiser though, shaking her head. It was clear that she was panicked though, her hazel eyes wide.

"I don't know, sweetie. Your father's gone to take a look".

Off to the side, Saitama saw a red glow from the window. He dashed over to take a look, his mother following him as he threw open the curtains. What he saw out there made his blood run cold, fear gripping him.

A large mechanical being was on a destructive path through the city and was slowly making its way closer to their house. Each time it moved one of its eight legs, the ground shook beneath their feet, clatters and screeches coming from where metal scraped against metal

A crimson coloured beam shot out from what looked like an optical device, a thunderous clap of an explosion from where it struck the building, sending debris everywhere, fire licking at the structure. The light from the enormous flames illuminated the entire area. The warm glow of light flickered on Saitama and his mothers features as they looked on.

Screams were heard from outside. As people ran into the streets, he could see that there was no escaping the thing, their deaths imminent. Saitama saw the robotic monsters head swivel upon detecting their movement. In the blink of an eye, they burst into an explosion of flames as the menace shot its heated beam at them. It was like he was watching a horror movie. Never had he imagined this sort of thing happening. Not in his lifetime anyway.

"We need to hide!".

"Oh god, Saitama, your father!"

Just below them, outside, the male stepped into view. His father was in danger. Saitama bolted down the stairs, followed by his mother, his legs carrying him down as fast as they could. He made his way to the open door leading outside. When his father saw him, the older man waved his hands frantically at him.

"Get back inside, Saitama! Hurry! Both of you, go and hide!".

"Not without you!".

As he spoke, the guardian turned its head upon detecting motion in its peripheral vision, and that's when its eye fixed upon the older male, red tracking dot locking on to his head. Upon seeing this, Saitama let out a gasp, breaking into a sprint towards his father.

"Dad! Run!"

His warning came too late. As the blast hit the older male, Saitama came to a skittering halt in his tracks, his foot slipping from beneath him, causing him to fall on his rear. He let out a heartbroken cry as he watched as his father was engulfed by flames.

"Daaad!".

Tears rolled down his cheeks as his father disintegrated before his very eyes. The scream behind him caught his attention. It was his mother. He had to hide her from this monster. Scrambling to his feet, he raced back over to their family home, lungs burning as he panted.

Noticing Saitama's movements, it found its next target, the mechanical monster getting ready with its deadly attack. It manoeuvred itself closer, then shot its beam.

At the same time it fired, Saitama leapt forwards, diving, landing heavily on the floor inside the house. An explosion of fire and debris caused the house to shake violently. His mother crouched down where she once stood, with him laying flat still, hands covering his head. It was a very narrow miss.

However, a second and third beam were fired at the house, sending the pair flying from the force of the blast. The supporting beams of the house were weakening from the impacts. In a matter of seconds, the structure began to collapse all around them, their family home trapping them within.

What felt like hours had only been a few seconds when Saitama awoke from being knocked unconscious. He groaned, feeling a massive headache pounding within his skull.

The air was full of dust from the fallen debris, forcing Saitama to cough, just to try and clear his lungs, but it was no good. His whole mouth and throat was dry. He opened his eyes, but saw nothing, making him worry that he'd gone blind.

Saitama experimentally shifted his body. By some miracle, he found that he still had his limbs, but his left was stuck and in pain. Not able to see what was trapping it, he gingerly moved himself, groaning at how stiff his body felt, hurting all over.

With his hands, he managed to lever the somewhat heavy item off his leg, freeing himself. He then ghosted his fingers along his leg, hissing as he felt a gash along the side of his calf, blood at his fingertips. Trying to push passed the pain in his leg, he had to find his mother.

"Mom! Mom, can you hear me?".

His voice was rather scratchy and faint due to inhaling the dust. After suffering a short coughing fit, he tried calling out again for her, fear filling his chest at the previous silence, that is, until he heard some movement a little ways in front of him.

"Saitama, dear".

Her voice was a whisper in the darkness, sounding like it was an effort to speak. The male crawled over to where he had heard her voice, his hands patting blindly in the search for his mother. Her soft shallow breaths helped to further guide him as he got closer.

Feeling her hand just beneath his, he knew he had found her. His fingers enclosed around it, his other hand reaching out in the dark, finding her shoulder.

"Mom.. Thank god you're alive".

His hand travelled further up, locating her face, feeling her tilt her head into his palm.

"Saitama, sweetie... you need to get away.. from here".

His thumb caressed her cheek in relief, but as he did so, he felt a moist warmth on her cheek. Using the rest of his fingers to feel, he could tell it wasn't a good sign. The consistence wasn't that of tears, but of something thicker; blood. His mother was injured.

"I'm not leaving without you. I need to get you some help".

The more he breathed in the dust from the debris, the quieter his voice became. His grip on her hand tightened a fraction for reassurance, not just for her, but for himself too. In response, she turned her hand to thread her fingers with his, giving a gentle squeeze.

"Sai, I'm afraid I won't.. be coming with you... You need to escape without me".

Another cough gripped the poor male as he shuffled closer to his mother on the rubble.

"No, I'm not going anywhere without you! I'm going to save you and get you out of here!".

He didn't bother trying to fight back the tears anymore. He'd already lost one parent today. He couldn't stand to lose his mother too. She was all he had left.

Moving his hand from her face, he felt around above her. Immediately weighing down on top of her was a solid layer of the upper floor. Try as he might, Saitama couldn't budge it an inch, too weak to move it, which frustrating him. The more he tried, the more scratches and cuts his hands endured from the rough material. He felt absolutely powerless.

"Damnit, fuckin' _move_!".

As he tried again to move it, he felt her hand cupping his cheek, making him stop what he was doing. He couldn't see her face, but he could hear in her voice that she was crying and still putting on a smile for her son.

"Don't worry about me, dear. Go, now, before that thing comes back. Please... Live. You have your whole life ahead of you. Your soulmate is out there waiting for you. They need you. Go and make us proud, my beautiful son".

Saitama's tears wouldn't stop flowing, dripping from his chin to the ground beneath him. He leaned into her touch. Deep down, he begun to realize that his mother wouldn't make it. He couldn't understand why he had been spared, a cruel mercy.

"I love you, mom.. I'm so sorry".

"Dear, don't be sorry for anything. I love you so much. Your father and I shall love you forever. Now hurry, Saitama. Make the most of your life. Live, laugh, but most of all, love..".

A sob escaped him, unable to hold back any longer. How could he do any of those things without his family at his side? His life was being torn to pieces, all thanks to the monster outside. It was still close by. He could still hear it, but he could also hear a loud voice. More explosions were heard as the monster attacked. Was someone attempting to fight it?

His attention was snatched back when he heard a loud crash and another rumble all around them. Had the hero hit that thing into the house!?

The sound of the mechanical creature moving again confirmed his suspicions. As it moved away from where it landed, the last of the structure that had continued standing was now collapsing in on them. Saitama felt some rubble land upon him, but not enough to injury him greatly, the slab above him blocking most of it.

His mother wasn't so fortunate. The increased weight from above was just too much for her body to handle. Her hand fell limply from his cheek, the grip on his hand loosening as her life ebbed away. Saitama reached for her shoulder in the dark, shaking it.

"Mom? Mom! Please, don't leave me! Mom!".

Despite trying to scream, his voice was too hoarse, barely a noise coming from him. His whole world had been destroyed by the rampaging mechanical monster. The young male slammed his fists down on the ground beneath him, the pain in his heart out weight the pain of his injuries. Leaning his head down on the concrete, silent sobs wracked his entire body. Tears mixed with blood as he cried, dripping to the ground. Saitama remained doubled over for a while.

Deciding to heed his mothers last words, he sought any means of escape, scratching around, pushing on obstructions, pieces of debris falling here and there as he did so. His tears never ceased flowing as he searched for a way out of there, not having wanted to leave her behind. He would return for her.

Seeing an opening, he forged his way through with what little strength he had left, crawling through the hole in the broken wall. All around him was destruction. Buildings were gone, reduced to rubble, flames licked at everything they could. Aside from the sound of the clanks of metal from the monster, there was silence, no signs of life, a mixture of smells turning his stomach causing him to heave. His body was so overwhelmed by everything right now, the cold temperature not helping in the slightest.

The man's voice was heard again. Saitama turned his head whilst still on his hands and knees. Just down what was once the road, there was a male engaged in a fight with the mechanical thing. Saitama felt himself frown in his direction. _Is he the one that hit that thing into the house, killing mom?_

He watched as he threw a punch followed by a powerful roundhouse kick, sending the monster hurtling into a building opposite to where he was, landing upside down, legs flailing in the air. _Maybe he's a hero?_

The man sprinted towards his opponent, but slowed to a stop when he spotted Saitama, shivering. It was a shock to him that there was even a survivor. The black haired males injury on his leg was what he saw first, then the blood on his hands and face.

He looked between Saitama and his opponent, deciding which to take care of first. Gritting his teeth with a frown, he let out a sigh.

"Damnit, let's get you out the way before I kill this thi-".

 _ **THWAK!**_

The monster used one of its eight legs and slammed it against the guy with such force, he was knocked off his feet and sent flying several meters away. In a way, Saitama felt a certain satisfaction that an injury had been inflicted upon the man. He had lost his mother thanks to this mans carelessness.

A blood curdling cry came from the hero, the man rendered immobile on the ground. It was just as well. The monster managed to right itself, head turning as it scanned the area for any movement. Seeing this, Saitama kept as still as he possibly could.

Satisfied, the monster turned, continuing on its path through the rest of the city, away from Saitama. The injured hero was calling out for help.

 _Are there more?_ Saitama thought to himself. His question was answered when another hero flew towards the injured man, assessing his comrades injuries. Saitama listened to their conversation.

"B-but what about the civilians? Nnghh.. Where are the others? We need to.. search for survivors. There's one-".

"Theyll be here soon. Besides, I doubt there's gonna be any survivors from this, and even if there are any, that thing will be back to finish 'em off. The others can try and deal with that thing".

Saitama was mortified by what he'd just heard. The man had basically condemned him and any other survivors to death. The guy wasn't even planning on helping anyone except for his friend. _So this is what heroes are like?_

In the moonlight and flickers from the flames dotted around, he saw the injured hero being lifted by the other, his moans of pain filling the air. With a burst of energy, the man levitated from the ground, comrade secure in his arms.

This was his chance. Even though the injured hero had caused his mothers death, Saitama pushed himself up from the floor, doing what he could to focus away from the pain, and limped slowly towards the heroes.

No matter how much he called out to them, nothing came out, only small plumes of breath in the chilly night air. His voice had completely gone.

His efforts were in vain, as the pair blasted up using a propulsion on the ground and flew off together away from the scene. Not even heroes had tried to save him or anyone else, leaving the monster to continue on its rampage.

As he stood there, watching them flying off, he could feel hatred bubbling up within him. Eyes narrowing, he gave the retreating two a deadly glare. They had abandoned him, his family, the entire city of countless people.

To him, they weren't heroes at all. They didn't deserve that title, not after their negligence. For that, he would seek revenge, not only on the mechanical creature, but the heroes as well. If the heroes weren't going to help, who would? He was on his own now. He needed to grow stronger to avenge his family and all of the others who had perished.

 _ **"I'll hunt you all down and get my revenge"**_.


	5. Rebirth

Red. That was the only colour he ever remembered seeing that day. It had all happened so quickly, a dizzying whirlwind to the teen. There was no warning, no time to escape. On that day, Genos' stars were twisted into shadows.

In a matter of minutes, the small sleepy village on the outskirts of the city, in which he and his family lived, had been reduced to nothing but ruins. Fires burned, weakened wooden structures collapsed, smoke lingered in the air thickly, bodies were strewn on the ground or buried under rubble, lifeless, some unrecognisable. There was total destruction for as far as the eye could see.

Regaining consciousness, all Genos could feel was searing white hot pain coursing through his whole body. A cry of agony involuntarily escaped passed his lips. Panting shallowly, he found it a struggle to breathe, chest feeling as though something heavy was weighing him down. The teen grit his teeth, eyes screwed shut. It hurt to try and move his body, feeling as though his nerves were on fire.

As the pain lessened a fraction, the disorientated blonde tried to sit himself up, immediately falling back down. His right shoulder was dislocated, with his lower arm numb, no feeling to it at all. It was an impossibility to move his fingers, let alone put any weight on it.

Trying again, this time using his other arm, with trembling success, he looked himself over briefly, noticing the amount of blood covering his body. A particularly bad bleed was at his chest where a one foot sharp piece of wood had embedded itself deeply in his chest between his ribs, poking out, with blood trickling from the wound. He didn't dare attempt to touch or remove it, in fear that it was actually stemming the majority of the flow and keeping him alive.

As his eyes drifted further over his body, a frightened shriek came from him as he saw that his left leg was missing from just above his knee, along with his right foot, his calf also appearing broken. Walking was out of the question.

Stomach lurching, a wave of nausea crashed over him as he felt himself pale in horror. Tears filled his eyes, rolling down his dust covered cheeks, feeling sorry for himself as he lifted his head to survey his surroundings.

Only now did he notice that the night air was overwhelmingly hot and heavy, stifling to the point of near suffocation. The air he breathed was thick with smoke and ash, carrying the mixed scent of burning timber, blood and charred flesh. It was all too much for the poor teen, throwing up to the side of him, pain bristling and blooming in his chest as he did so.

Attempting to catch his breath, painful as it was, he turned his head. Just a few feet away from him, he spotted a figure; his sister Aria. She was laying face down under the remains of the roof that had collapsed inwards on them.

"Aria!".

It pained him to breathe and to talk, but he couldn't stop himself screaming his little sister's name. Pushing past the pain and his injuries, he shifted himself in a scramble, dragging himself pathetically over towards her prone form with his only working limb, moaning and huffing as his body urged him to stop.

She looked to be sleeping, eyes closed. Try as he might to wake her, shaking her shoulder and crying out her name, it proved fruitless. She was gone. Heartbreaking sobs poured into the night air as the blonde mourned his sisters death, apologising countless times between his keening.

As he cried, Genos wondered if his parents had survived. They had just been in the next room, if he remembered correctly. Looking up through his dusty bangs, vision watery, he couldn't tell in which direction that was, as everything had been flattened all around him, with not a soul in sight. Not a single structure was left standing, fire illuminating the night sky. **_That mechanical robot caused all of this..._** Casting his mind back, he could remember seeing it clearly; the destructive creation that had rampaged throughout their village. They hadn't stood a chance against it.

His vision began to swim and waver, body feeling much weaker yet still very much pained, his chest moreso than anywhere else.

Genos tenderly lowered himself down to the ground to lay beside his sister.

"I'm sorry, Aria... I couldn't protect you...".

He didn't want to live without his family. He had nothing left to live for, no one left to love. His tears never ceased their flow, creating clean trails down his dirtied face as he gazed at his sister, upset, empty. Genos couldn't understand why he was the only one sparred, the only one in his family to have been lucky enough to survive such an atrocity. But then again, he didn't **_feel_** lucky. He felt like the most unluckiest person on the planet right now. He would be without those he loved, mourning their loss and to forever relive this nightmare over and over, the never ending torment, only to see them in his precious memories of which the teen swore he would never forget. Waves of guilt washed over him, overwhelming him. He should've been the one to die, not them.

His eyes drifted from his sister, to the wooden spike imbedded in his chest. **_Maybe I can join them..._** With the energy he had left, he gripped it in his hand and pulled on it, anguished cries and screams left him as he felt more white hot pain filling his chest, followed by a fuzzy warmth spreading through his body.

Once it was dislodged, he released it, letting his arm drop to his side, linking his fingers with his sisters own lifeless cold ones. **_This will be my grave... Please let me join them..._**

Glancing at their entwined hands, he saw the numbers at his wrist where his sleeve had once been, still counting down. Would his soulmate mind if he died? **_Of course they would..._** He was being selfish wanting to die. In this world, you only ever got one soulmate in life, that one chance at true happiness. He would be snatching that one chance from them. With the numbers still counting down, it proved that they were still destined to meet. He didn't want to give up on his soulmate, wherever they were, but he also didn't want to be without his family.

His eyes fluttered tiredly. His tattered and broken body felling increasingly numb to the touch, yet full of pain. All he wanted to do right now was sleep.

Just as he was about to close his eyes and resign to his fate, he heard footsteps running, getting closer. A shadow loomed over him, crouching beside him. The flickering light from the fires around them partially illuminated the figure, but his vision was blurring, making it difficult to make out his features.

"I hope I'm not too late. Just hold on a little longer, my boy".

The voice held a hope for him. The man scooped him into his arms, giving him a second chance at life, one of which he didn't feel he deserved. His fingers gently slipped free from Aria's, heart aching for the loss of his little sisters touch.

"A..ria... ..who-..?"

Genos didnt get to finish his whispered question, or hear the seemingly mumbled answer, as he fell unconscious against the mans chest, never to see his beloved family again.

* * *

Several months had passed since that day, and a lot had changed for the teen. One major life change was that he had been transformed into a cyborg of justice. He would soon be ready for the day he finally got his revenge for that horrific day, to solidify his idea of justice.

Genos still had nightmares about it. He'd been so traumatized by it that he couldn't get it out of his mind, having countless restless and often sleepless nights. It was tough for the young male, waking up to find that he had burned his sleeping quarters on numerous occasions in his earlier days, still learning how to control his incinerators.

In the end, he was moved to a new room, fireproofed and reinforced by several layers of thick steel, his night terrors not showing any signs of letting up any time soon. Doctor Kuseno would always be alerted and would comfort the teen during his suffering.

His idea for revenge for his family's deaths was his driving force, his motivation to keep living. After that, who knew, but right now, his goal was to destroy the eight legged robot that had levelled their village and killed his family and countless other lives.

A man, Doctor Kuseno, had saved his life and brought him back with him to where he resided. His memory was rather fuzzy as to what exactly happened after being rescued. He did, however, remember convincing, and giving the older man his consent, to transform him, to make him a cyborg, with the understanding from the doctor that the teenager live as normal a **_human_** life as possible, humanity intact. Genos agreed, willing to do anything to get vengeance.

The doctor had explained early on in the process that he was a scientist of justice and that he wanted to exact revenge just as much as Genos did, so the two agreed to work together, Genos being the spearhead of the search, but all in due time.

It had been a long and delicate process of his brain being extracted and transferred to his new cyborg body, with the doctor keeping an eye on the statistics of both the boys organic brain and his new cyborg body.

During the transformation from his human body to his mechanical one, Genos had forgotten all about his soulmate, solely focused on revenge, but luckily, as the doctor was operating, he noticed the countdown on the boys wrist. With him becoming a cyborg, he knew that the countdown would not follow his soul across.

Wheeling himself over to the computers by the operating table, doctor Kuseno set up an accurate countdown that matched the time on the males wrist, inputting it into Genos' systems so that when the time came, he would be alerted of his soulmates imminent arrival. Unfortunately, in the rush of the process, he forgot to give the countdown a file name.

When Genos came to, he had heard the doctors voice, reassuring him as the boys systems started to boot up and come online. Doctor Kuseno was there at his side the entire time, which eased any worries and anxieties the teen had. He trusted the man with his life after all.

Genos listened to every instruction, following each word as the man looked between the computer monitor beside him and the teen. Taking a deep relaxing breath, Genos had felt his new synthetic lungs fill with air, a mixture of smells wafting through his senses before being exhaled. Slowly, his eyes opened, his vision being much clearer than ever before. It was in that moment that Genos realized; this was a new beginning for him, another chance at life, a chance to protect those who were as weak as he once was, and to destroy those who hurt them.

His road to recovery and learning how to use his new body took many months, sometimes succeeding, sometimes failing. Though frustrated with himself more often than not, he forged ahead, not wanting to give up. With doctor Kuseno's support, he knew he could accomplish what he set out to do.

At Genos' request, the doctor held a small mirror for him to see what he looked like. It was a strange experience seeing his reflection for the first time, and knew it would take some getting used to. Although his hair was relatively the same, though synthetic, it was his eyes that threw him the most.

Yellow hues gazed back at him, surrounded by black sclera. He found them to look almost oddly intimidating if he frowned enough. He was unsure as to why they were black, but he didn't want to trouble the doctor with such trivia. He was just grateful that he could have the ability to still see, and in such remarkable high definition.

Raising a hand, he pressed his fingers lightly against a cheek. Under his sensitive finger pads, he could feel how soft and pliable it was, much like real flesh was. He couldn't hold back a sound of awe, astounded as to how human his face looked. The doctor had truly created a scientific state of the art body for him.

Sliding his slender fingers further down his cheek, his eyes drifted to look at his neck, seeing the black silicone with silver cables stretching up from his metallic collar up to the backs of his ears. He even noticed that he had a replica Adam's apple. His fingertips experiment stroked along the black material, his brain registering the touch to both his fingertips and his neck, a soft gasp escaping his lips. Seeing this type of reaction coming from Genos, the doctor knew he had done a good job.

"I take it you could feel that. You'll be able to feel everything you touch on your body. I retained your spinal cord, so I have created you an artificial nervous system which runs throughout your body. You have control over whether to turn it on or off and to sharpen your senses or dull them down".

"...How am I able to power this body, doctor?".

At Genos' query, given that it was all mechanical, he was told that he didn't have use of an organic heart anymore, but a power core nestled in the centre of his chest, which required a charge once every now and then should his energy level deplete. Doctor Kuseno gave him a small smile.

"Why don't you take a look?".

With the doctors guidance, Genos gave the command for his chest to unlock and open, the room suddenly being bathed in a beautiful blue glow from his core's light as it was revealed, heat radiating from it as it pulsed ever so slightly. Tilting his head down to have a look, Genos found himself mesmerised by its bright blue glow. **_It's so warm.. It's still like a heart to me, if this is what keeps me alive._**

"You need this in order to keep functioning, and you'd be surprised at just how long you'll be able to last on a single charge! It will recharge slowly on its own in time if you enter sleep mode. However, a backup power reserve in stored in your head, just in case your main core ever runs out of power. If that happens, you'll need to recharge as soon as possible. I can't say that it won't happen, but it's a possibility if fighting a strong enemy requiring you to perform powerful attacks".

Hearing that he could possible die from a loss of electrical power was daunting. He couldn't die before defeating the mechanical robot. He wouldn't allow it.

"I shall do my best to never reach that point, doctor. Thank you for considering my needs with the backup reserve".

It was strange for Genos having to learn how to move again, along with all the other simple things in life that he used to do without thinking.

Moving his fingers was his first task. He was asked to touch each finger to his thumbs to check his coordination and use of each finger individually, bending each digit to check the motors worked and that the signals from his brain were being read correctly by his body. They made a soft clatter sound as they flexed, which didn't really bother him.

Learning how to hold items in his mechanical hands without breaking them under the pressure of his fingers was a trial in itself. Something so simple was such a task for him and his superhuman strength. He either gripped things too gently or too hard. Many pens, chopsticks, cups and other items had given way during the tasks set by doctor Kuseno, bending or snapping at his fingertips, earning a growl of displeasure from the blonde.

Once he had control over the use of his hands and arms, the doctor suggested he write at least once a day to keep the process fresh in his mind. Taking the notebook and pen he was handed by the doctor, Genos wasn't too sure as to what he would write about daily. Then he had an idea. He could keep a diary of what had happened during his day, of failures and successes, his thoughts on different things, calculations and processes. That way, he could keep a record of information for future reference that could possibly aid him on his road to vengeance.

The next step was to move his legs. The first test with his legs was to wiggle his toes, which seemed simple enough. It didn't take him long to figure out how to manipulate them, which made him smile triumphantly. However, he had gotten rather frustrated when attempting to walk on his new legs.

Doctor Kuseno had positioned some parallel bars beside his bed. He assisted him in getting off his bed and to hold the bars. His arms could hold his weight with no problem at all, so he slowly lowered himself to the ground, toes touching the floor first before the rest of his foot, then allowing his legs to rest more weight on them. It wasn't that he was afraid of falling, but he hated failure.

With his full weight on them, his legs trembled to begin with, but as he started to use his muscle system, much like a suspension, he was soon able to stand on both legs without holding the bars for support, earning a cheer of praise from the doctor. This was a major confidence boost for Genos, feeling himself smile brightly. He fed on the praise, soaking it up as his core whirred in delight, gaining the motivation to continue.

As he started to try and take his first steps, his legs wouldn't seem to cooperate with what he was wanting to do at first, either ceasing up as his hips or calf, or were uncoordinated, causing him to fall to his knees like a lead weight as the buckled, a knock to his new found confidence.

It happened many times, with Genos leaving nice sizeable dents in the floor where he'd smashed his fists into the ground in front of him, feeling fragile bodied and annoyed at himself. Doctor Kuseno always helped him stand back up, urging him to rest for the remainder of the day and not push himself, but Genos was stubborn, always wanting to carry on, never giving up. He was desperate to make full use of his body for the greater good.

"I appreciate your concern, doctor, but I cannot sit in bed forever. I need to continue and get even stronger. The longer I am here, the longer that thing is out there, possibly killing more innocent people".

With regards to food, he was told that he didn't exactly require food, but the function was made available to eat. Doctor Kuseno had wanted to keep Genos' humanity, characteristics and habits, despite his transformation, so that he could continue living as intended; as a human. After agreeing to make him into a cyborg, he had felt as though he had robbed him of his life as a human.

Genos was informed that any food or drink consumed would be turned into a bio fuel, adding to his energy reserves, proving useful for his core if he ever encountered an enemy that required him to use the majority of his energy.

Trying food for the first time had been an experience for Genos. He didn't experience hunger, but his brain still thought about and wanted food. The taste of it was a little bland to his taste buds, which the doctor had promised to work on and improve. However, he didn't know how to prepare for the food to be digested and burned using his system, therefore, seconds later on an override, his body brought it back up involuntarily. Genos didn't think that he could throw up as a cyborg. That answered that question. Next time, he would be prepared. Doctor Kuseno patted his shoulder sympathetically.

"Take it easy, my boy. These things take time and practise".

Another discovery for the teen was that he cried oily tears. It felt shameful to admit that he had in fact cried as a cyborg, thinking it impossible, but his tears had intreagued him when he saw them. His yellow eyes illuminated faintly as it was still dark. In their light, he had noticed black marks beside his head on his pillow.

Sitting up, he looked down at the stains, which admittedly worried him at first. Rubbing his cheeks, he saw the dark liquid on his hands, so he got off his bed to go and look in the mirror as he snivelled.

Staring back at him in the low light, was a teary eyed pitiful looking cyborg, blackened oily smudges smeared over his soft pale cheeks with bed head. **_I can still cry?_**

After wiping his face with a cloth, he only managed to smudge the oil even more over his face. Sighing in mild defeat, he grabbed his pillow. Leaving his room as quietly as he possibly could, with clunky steps, he decided to go and wash it, hoping to remove the stains before the doctor noticed. He didn't fancy telling him that he'd cried.

In the end, he was found out by the doctor, due to the mess on his face as he washed the material, which wasn't as shameful and embarassing as he'd imagined. Doctor Kuseno padded over to him, grabbed a cloth from the side and began to clean Genos's face with great care, the teen keeping still for him. It made the old man chuckle seeing the cyborgs slight pout. Genos reminded him of a little boy who was having his face cleaned by his mother.

"Now now, lad, it's okay to cry. It would be of a mental detriment to you if I robbed you of this experience. Your brain still needs to express your emotions, so I fitted you with tear ducts as well, to give you as accurate an experience as I could".

With the oil being cried out, he would need a small top up. Checking the levels himself on his interface, Genos indeed noticed that the level of oil within his body had depleted a fraction, which led to the part of being a cyborg that he wasn't too fond of but had to put up with anyway; maintenance.

Maintenance checks for Genos made him feel very vulnerable at first as he lay on the metal platform, headrest cradling his head, keeping it in place. Gazing up at the ceiling, he could see the various pipes, drills, mechanical arms and other maintenance devices looming overhead ready to descend over him and get to work.

A curious thought popped into his mind as he awaited the tools and devices to get to work on him; how was all of this funded? Everything he saw seemed to be pretty damn expensive to the teen. There was no one else but the doctor living and working there with him, so was the doctor rich? Had he perhaps invented something in the past and sold it off for multi millions? He then remembered a saying his father once told him; 'never look a gift horse in the mouth'. Taking his father's advice, Genos never voiced his curiosity to the man.

To start the maintenance, whether it was to do with his interfaces or body repairs, Genos had to give clearance to allow the doctor to do what he needed to, his body literally opening up where needed, with the doctor checking the diagnostics program and using monitoring systems to keep an eye on his vital signs, statistics and progress of his work.

It was a little uncomfortable for Genos during upgrades, sometimes a touch painful, so the blonde would switch off his pain receptors. Being a cyborg, he didn't think he needed to feel pain, but again, Kuseno explained it was all part of his quest to make him live as a normal human should.

If the process of an upgrade was to last a few hours or even days, the teen could opt to be shut down, akin to sleep mode, but only the doctor could wake him, setting the computer to wake Genos once the repairs or upgrades were complete.

Sometimes, as his body booted back up, he would see the doctor asleep in his chair by the computer after a sleepless night working on him. For all the time, trouble and money the good doctor had put in to help him get stronger and kit him out with state of the art equipment and artillery, Genos appreciated it all, indebted to him, thus vowing to get revenge for them both.

Being a cyborg granted the male a multitudes of artillery and abilities, along with immense firepower, speed and strength, which he could now learn to use with the doctors guidance. The man lead Genos down to a huge reinforced containment room, almost like a bunker underneath the lab underground. The sheer size of it impressed Genos. Getting to put his arsenal of weaponry to the test in the bunker was the best part for Genos. It always astounded him with just how powerful he was. His projectile attacks were his most impressive. He would definitely need to write about this in his diary.

Having the most advanced sensors was most definitely advantageous to him, his eyes glowing a golden hue as he scanned the room. He learned that his armoured body was resilient to most things too, although, during one particular test set up for him, he ended up losing his left leg and a few fingers on both hands from the blast. He felt a spike of pain prickling from his receptors, so he stubbornly shut them off immediately before it got any worse, much to doctor Kuseno's chagrin.

"I know you don't want to feel pain, Genos, but it's part of being human. Embrace that feeling, don't be afraid to feel it".

Rest assured, with assistance, he could go back to being perfectly healthy and fully functional with any necessary repairs. There were always spare parts ready for the teen for such situations, as the doctor had learned from the get-go that Genos was the reckless type and very impulsive. He was scolded on numerous occasions by the older man for not thinking things through without going head on into situations, guns blazing, but there was no helping the teen. He was so vengefully driven that there seemed to be no stopping him even as he aged.

As time went on, with Genos now more proficient in his reflexes, his speed had vastly increased. He moved so fast that he appeared to be teleporting, only to reappear in another spot in the bunker. The doctor had trouble with keeping up with him as he watched.

His attacks seemed to get more precise and coordinated over time, finally landing direct hits with his incineration cannons, which impressed the doctor to no end, proud of the boy. Each special technique and battle tactic was tried and tested, with Genos reporting his findings and thoughts to the doctor, even giving suggestions, anything to attain the power and strength that he desired, the doctor obliging.

Hand to hand combat was also improving, landing swift kicks and heavy punches. But there was always a thought nagging at the back of the doctors mind; these weren't real enemies. They were just target practise for the cyborg. But with how reckless he was, he didn't think he was ready to go outside into the world just yet, despite him asking now and then if he could leave to start his search. The day would come when the now sixteen year old would get to face a living enemy.

The ultimate weapon in Genos' possession was his self destruct feature. Doctor Kuseno had told Genos that this was only to be used in a dire situation with no escape. He hadn't wanted to install the feature, but it would have been unfair on the boy to leave him with no get-out weapon. He never wanted him to use it, even expressed his thoughts about it, with Genos vowing only to use it if absolutely necessary. It was a little reassuring but he knew there may come a day when he would need to use it by overheating his core. The way he accepted the feature and was willing to use it unsettled the older man.

* * *

Another year had passed with Genos now 18 years of age. With each year, the doctor would alter Genos' facial features a fraction to emulate aging, with his approval of course. Genos didn't mind. He definitely looked older than he did back when he was 15. His voice box had been adjusted too, his voice sounding somewhat deeper. He was happy with the changes the doctor was doing for him, sure that his current appearance would be what he would've looked like had he still been human.

One day, after watching Genos practice, monitoring his statistics, doctor Kuseno approached him slowly, hands behind his back. The sound of the cyborgs core whirring from overuse echoed in the now quiet space after hours of his combat training.

Panting heavily from such exertion of pushing his body to its limits, the blonde combed his fingers through his hair, small puffs of steam escaping past his lips, more twirling from his shoulder vents, fans shifting into overdrive to cool and regulate his body temperature.

Coming to a stop in front of the teen, the doctor gave him a small smile. To Genos, this man had become akin to a father figure to him over the years rather than a benefactor. He trusted the man considerably, so he waited to hear what he had to say.

Lowering his gaze, Kuseno looked a little anxious. Seeing this, Genos tilted his head.

"Doctor, is everything alright?"

Lifting his head back up, his eyes met Genos' glowing gaze.

"Genos, my boy, you've trained so hard and have made me so proud with how much you've progressed and how far you've come since I first met you".

The flattery was something he had grown used to from the man. Hearing it gave him a pleasant buzz, giving him the motivation to push himself further, but Genos knew that something was off this time.

"Thank you, doctor. But I can see that something is bothering you. What's on your mind?".

Doctor Kuseno heaved a heavy sigh, having been found out by the cyborg. **_Am I that readable?_** Swallowing hard, he plucked up the courage to speak his mind to the boy.

"I know you've been asking to leave here for some time now and I shouldn't have held you back for so long, but I'm sure you'll understand that I did it for your own good and wanted to be sure that you had everything under control. Seeing you in action today made me realize you're more than ready and capable to begin your search. So you can leave whenever you wish, and you're always welcome back here. This is your home. But I must ask of you to be a bit less reckless and to look after yourself. You aren't invincible. There are things out there that can still be of some trouble to you".

The blonde listened to everything the doctor had to say, nodding now and then to acknowledge him. His core pulsed with the prospect of him getting to finally leave on his search, much like a heart would beat quicker in anticipation and excitement, but his face remained as serious as ever. He felt that he was ready for this. He could now control every inch of his body, his artillery was tried and tested. He just hoped that no one had already gotten to the enemy before he had. He hadn't seen or read anything in the news reports to confirm this, so he stood a good chance at being the one to destroy it.

"I will do my best to locate and destroy the robot, doctor. Only then shall I attain the closure I have waited for. Whether it means me having to suffer damage along the way, then so be it".

"I don't doubt that you'll do you'll give it your all, Genos, but just try not to get yourself killed out there... If you do ever run into trouble and suffer damage in need of repair, there will be an automatic distress signal sent to me. It'll not only send me your location, but also the diagnostics and damage report. That way, I can then make any necessary preparations for when the bots airlift you back here. And, if ever you feel the need to get an upgrade or minor repairs, then a manual signal can be sent across too".

Agreeing to leave the next day, Genos requested a last minute tune-up. As he lay on the platform, chest and stomach panels open, he could feel the oil and coolant coursing through his body as the machine pumped it into his systems, replenishing the levels he had in him, removing some of the older liquids.

Noticing that Genos' body had become slower to cool off than he liked, the doctor altered the priority of his fans to high so that they would kick in sooner and cool his temperature faster.

With the tune-ups complete and both Genos and the doctor happy with the work done, Genos closed his chest and stomach panels after each plug, pump and wire was removed from his body, retracting back to towards the ceiling.

Sitting up, the cyborg then shifted himself off the platform, thanking the doctor for his diligent work before heading off to his room to get some sleep for the rest of the evening. Kuseno watched the retreating form of the male as he left the lab, a feeling of anxiety welling within him. He worried for Genos' safety, much like a normal father would. Whether Genos was human or cyborg, it wouldn't stop him from feeling such worry. The older man didn't get much sleep that night.

Morning arrived, the sun only just beginning rising, still low in the sky. In his room, Genos finished pulling on his boots, already dressed in his usual white tank top and blue jeans. Walking out, he headed for the lab. There, he saw doctor Kuseno, hands behind his back, standing in front of the thick steel doors that he had opened.

Genos stepped closer to the man who was gazing outside at the gorgeous red sky set before them, stopping when they were side by side.

"Hmm... 'Red sky at morning, shepherds warning'...Please promise me you'll be careful out there, Genos".

Turning his head to look down at the old man beside him, Genos nodded in response.

"I will, doctor. I shall keep you up to date as best as I can. Thank you again for all that you have done for me over the years. I'm forever indebted to you".

The smile he was given as Kuseno looked up at the blonde made him feel something he hadn't in a while. He couldn't quite describe it. A nostalgic feeling.

Moving his hands from behind him, the doctor help out a small rectangular piece of plastic to him. Taking it gently between his fingers, he glanced over it.

"...a debit card?".

"Yes. I've loaded 10 million yen on to this card. Who knows when you shall return. You'll need somewhere to stay when you reach further afield as well. If you do need any more money, then just let me know. Don't be afraid to ask for any extra".

The kindness this man showered upon him was boundless.

"I appreciate your generosity, doctor. I won't let you down, nor my family and the other civilians. I shall be heading out now".

Genos' seriousness hadn't changed over the last year. He was so focused on this mission to destroy the robot, that everything else a normal eighteen year old did in life had been pushed aside. Giving his shoulder a reassuring pat, doctor Kuseno nodded his head.

"Good luck, my boy. Keep in touch and look after yourself".

"Yes... Goodbye doctor. I shall see you again soon".

After slipping the card into his pants pocket, Genos left the lab, his heavy metallic clinking fading into the distance the further away he got.

"...please be more cautious, Genos... Come back home safe and well...".


	6. Target Acquired

"Yes, doctor. I was able to fix it with the tools I had. The motor in the knuckle seemed to have become lodged with some metal swarf, so I was unable to use it", Genos spoke, looking at his hand and flexing his fingers. "I managed to clean all the mechanisms out and it is working perfectly again... Yes... Right... I know... I shall need to return back to base in the next few days anyway. Having run a diagnostic on my body, it appears that two of the cooling fans have started faltering, causing my core to overheat 12% faster... Right... I understand. Thank you doctor... I will. Goodbye". Genos closed his clamshell phone and stored it in his back pocket.

It had been a long nine months for Genos. With no leads to assist in his search, time seemed to tick by agonisingly slow for him. It was rather disheartening, but he forged on, not wanting to give up hope. He was sure the robot was out there still. Surely someone had some form of knowledge to its whereabouts. After all, it was rather impossible to miss.

The now nineteen year old cyborg stood atop a high rise building, padding heavily, stopping on the ledge. Golden eyes scanned over the bustling city below him, vision ghosting over the people on the ground. The updraft whistled against his ears, tousling his blonde locks as he looked down over the edge. The late afternoon sun bathed him in its golden tones as it was starting to disappear behind the approaching rain clouds from the East.

From where he was stood, he had a good view of the happenings on the streets of City D, watching out for any signs of trouble. Having recently being recruited by the HA, he now had new objectives alongside his original mission. Being a hero helped with his boredom, and with his high rank, it paid well.

It happened approximately two months ago. On happenstance, Genos had been passing through City R when he became involved in a fight with a giant ant-like monster that was attacking the downtown sector, his first real fight in weeks. He made short work of the battle, finishing off the creature with ease, watching as it burned to a crisp with the use of his incinerators.

Annihilating the creature was fairly satisfying for Genos, giving him somewhat of a buzz. Having not put his artillery to good use for a while had made his journey rather tedious, especially as he had yet to find any scrap of information on the robot that destroyed his family and the citizens of City N. Well, he had to take his frustrations out on something. Now seemed as good a time as any.

The cheers from the civilians were in abundance once it was defeated. One by one, they filtered out of the surrounding buildings that they had all been taking refuge in. After the event, social media was soon flooded with images and videos of the young cyborg, catching the attention of the Hero Association.

It was three days later when he was located in City B after another attack. Having been approached by three men from the association, Genos reached the decision and agreed to take the written and physical exam, resulting in him passing with flying colours and becoming a class S hero overnight.

Admittedly, it would help pass the time between his search, and this way, not only could he possibly find some clues within the organisation's data banks, but he would also be earning money so that he didn't have to ask the good doctor for any in the future, paying him back for the times he had borrowed from him. It didn't feel quite right to go asking for money when the man had already done so much for him.

A sudden buzzing in his jeans back pocket pulled him from his thoughts, alerting him of an incoming phone call. Pulling the ringing device free, he flipped it open to answer the call. A female from the association was on the other end, her voice expressing the urgency of the mission, informing him of a monster attacking the South Eastern residential district of City Z, threat level demon.

"Right. I'm on my way".

Not one to refuse a mission, Genos stuffed his phone away. Getting the location up on his HUD, he began calculating the directions and time it would take to get there, information flitting across his optics.

Choosing the quickest route, he leapt from the roof on which he stood, to the next, sprinting across the rooftops with the assistance of his incinerators in his palms and shoulders for added speed.

Using the route across the roofs was both faster and more discrete. Keeping the civilians out of harms way was a high priority as a hero. That, and he didn't consider himself very photogenic, nor did he want to get swamped by fangirls either, which he'd seemed to have acquired along with the fame. It wasn't that he disliked them in general, he just wasn't exactly used to that kind of attention he received from them. It was rather bothersome and embarassing. And right now, he didn't have time for such distractions.

Closing in on the border into City Z, Genos could see several plumes of smoke coming from destroyed buildings billowing into the darkening skies above. His ears could hear the distant cries from the civilians as they fled the area.

Brows furrowing deeper, the cyborg made his way down to ground level and zipped through the streets at high speed, almost a blur to those he passed, a rush of air jostling them in his wake.

He knew he was getting closer. The number of people in the streets was getting less and less, the level of destruction growing. Glass was shattered on the pavements, brickwork strewn across the ground, there was even water spraying from one building due to a broken water pipe.

A screech of a noise indicated the direction of the enemy. Along with a deep rumble, the cyborg felt the tremors beneath his feet. A loud crash followed shortly after, a tidal wave of dust billowing towards him as yet another structure crashed to the ground. He had to hurry to minimise the destruction.

Following the sounds through the dust cloud, his eyes attempting to scan each cloudy street he passed by, Genos easily located the monster. His vision started to clear as the dust began to settle.

Holding a hand out in front of him, he used a blast from his incinerator to slow him to a skittering stop. Lowering his arm, he observed the giant creature before him, grimacing at the sight of it.

"Found you".


	7. Progress

Four long, arduous years had passed by since Saitama lost his parents. Time seemed to have slowed down for the male, perhaps just to torment him that little bit more than necessary, only fuelling his animosity.

Without his mother and father in his life, he felt lost, now alone in the world and very much misguided, going down a dark and dangerous path, one of which may not have any point of return. Never had he thought that his life would go along such a downward spiral. It never even entered his head that he would lose both his parents this soon, and certainly not at the same time. They were still so young too. 47 was no age.

The male had no one left to turn to. Being an only-child, he had no siblings for support. His grandparents had passed away in their sixties, and both sides of the family were estranged now, so he had no contact with them at all. He was truly alone, abandoned by everyone.

The fires that had raged across the landscape were doused as the heavens opened, rain soaking the entire city, what remained of it anyway.

Despite his injuries, Saitama had managed to retrieve his mothers body from the remains of what was once their family home, holding a proper burial ceremony for her days later, some of the remaining townsfolk in attendance too.

The same, however, couldn't be said for his father, his body having disintegrated, but that didn't stop Saitama from putting both names on the headstone in the cemetry. They were together now, after all.

He visited the cemetry on a regular basis. The day he lost his family, he had vowed to get his revenge on both the robot and the heroes, whether they were involved or not. There was no way he was going back on his words now.

Said heroes had never returned to assist any survivors on the day the robot had attacked. The citizens had been left to fend for themselves as their homes and livelihoods burned to the ground, most losing family members in the process.

Apparently, almost 24 hours had passed before the heroes returned to the scene. In Saitama's eyes, if they had returned sooner then maybe more citizens would have survived. To him, they didn't even deserve the title of 'hero'. They had been faced with a foe that they couldn't defeat, so they had fled, the cries of those in need ignored.

No hero should even consider abandoning anyone when help was so obviously needed. Yet they did. And Saitama would _never_ forgive them for that. Ever.

So, after recovering from his injuries, burying his mother and finding a new place to live with what little money he could salvage from the ruins of his home, Saitama begun training, and training _hard_.

In the earlier days of his training, the amount of monster encounters were steadily on the increase. Saitama would take on them whenever the situation arose, receiving praise from the citizens of City Z, but he didn't want it. He didn't want to be grouped with those so called heroes. He wasn't on the side of heroes or monsters. To Saitama, it was him versus the world.

Despite being fairly weak to start with, he never gave in. His targets were monsters for now, wanting to work his way up to heroes once he felt strong enough to take them on, so he kept his attacks within City Z for the time being, not wishing to encounter any heroes just yet.

He received injury after injury, his blue tracksuit getting torn in the process. The damage to his clothing was fixed swiftly though by a kind tailor man in a shop not too far from his apartment. It was all in return for the monsters he had destroyed, so he hadn't had to pay a penny, much to Saitama's relief.

The tailor had taken it upon himself to create a more durable outfit for the young male, a step up from the tracksuit he usually wore. Saitama was a little apprehensive to wear it at first. ' _It's a little clingy_ ', he remembers telling the old man, looking down at his black and red outfit. He liked it though. It highlighted his growing muscles. Very flattering.

' _The cape has a hood too. Don't want you to catch a cold if you're ever caught out in the rain_ '. The tailor really had thought of every detail.

As time went by, and Saitama continued his training regimen, he grew stronger, more powerful. Each fight became easier, ending quicker. He fought with ease, blowing each monster away with just a few punches. Their attacks had less and less of an impact on his body. The stronger he got, so did his desire to kill, having the strength he had longed for since the incident, getting a kick out of beating the monsters.

All of his training was paying off. And so he continued, not a day of training missed over the last few years, but it came at a price. His heart blackened, his feelings dulled down, he lived in isolation as others fled the heart of City Z due to the rise in monster attacks. The most obvious change was physical; his hair had fallen out suddenly and at such a young age due to the toll all of his intense training had had on his body. It had been disheartening to see it happening, but his revenge drove him to carry on, regardless of his hairloss.

It wasn't long before Saitama was defeating monsters with just a single punch. It didn't matter how strong these monsters were, they posed no challenge to him anymore, defeating them with little to no effort at all.

Satisfied that he was strong enough to take on heroes, Saitama decided now was as good a time as any to venture further afield and to get himself noticed by the heroes once her targeted monsters in residential areas.

With a confident, sinister grin, the bald male pulled his hood over his head as he stepped over the boundary of City Z into City A, the streets bustling. It was his first time wearing his suit outside of City Z. He had decided to keep his identity fairly unknown, so with his hood up, it consealed his face enough for his liking. That way, he could still go out in public in his casualwear and go unrecognised.

Hearing a few screams just up ahead, he knew what he had to do.

"Time to kick things up a notch", the male voiced, springing into action. Taking on the monster caught the media's attention. With the coverage, it attracted the exact attention he had hoped for; heroes. Seeing 3 of them approaching, his dark grin widened.

"It's showtime".


	8. Red is the colour

**WARNING** : fair amount of blood and also some stabbing in this chapter. Please read with caution!

Took me a while to think of what to do as a buildup towards their meeting and here it is. Hope it's not too bad!

* * *

Water trickled from a broken drain pipe onto the ground below, the sound echoing off the alley walls. The puddle began to change to a reddish hue as the bald male washed his red gloves clean of blood. Shaking his hands of the excess water, he turned, heading towards the main road.

"Did he really think he'd stand a chance?".

Giving the lifeless body one last look of indifference over his shoulder as he walked away, the hooded figure decided to change course and pick up a few groceries on the way home.

"Might as well, the store isn't too far away from here, and I'm pretty hungry...".

He just wished he'd wore his hoodie and jeans when he'd left his apartment. That way, he wouldn't be recognised by anyone, not wanting to be harassed. Anything for a quiet life. But instead, he had opted for his villain costume. It was a good job too, having just killed a class C hero who had hopes of killing him just to climb the ranks. How pathetic... ' _At least it wasn't as messy this time_ '.

Saitama rounded the corner, leaving the alleyway and corpse behind him, heading out onto the busy main road. The footpaths weren't heaving like they would during rush hour or a weekend, much to Saitama's relief.

The grocery store he frequented was just a few more yards away, so Saitama pulled his hood further over his head to hide his features that bit more. A roll of his eyes, along with an exaggerated sigh, gave away his boredom at the 'same shit, different day' cycle as people starting to panic and flee upon seeing him, with some even brazen enough to shout insults towards the villain as they ran away.

"I hate you!"

"Just die!"

"One day, a hero is gonna kill you!"

"Give up on life, you evil bastard!"

His gloved fists clenched as he forged ahead on his route. Though Saitama heard these words almost on a daily basis, the bald male still felt a little offended by them. Hurt even. But he wouldn't let them know that. No one deserved to have such cruel things spouted to them. He killed heroes, it wasn't his fault that civilians got swept up in their fights. They just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Besides, did they know who they were talking to? He could kill them all in a matter of seconds if he wanted to.

Saitama stepped in front of the shop and the automatic doors opened, the villain stepping inside, hoping for some quietness. Thankfully, they didn't bother to follow him indoors. Saitama knew it would look odd that a villain would just stroll into a shop to grab groceries, so he would make this a quick trip. ' _Even a villain's gotta eat_ '.

Reaching down with a gloved hand, he grabbed a basket by the handles and lifted it, proceeding to wander further into the store.

First things first, he made a beeline for the meat upon seeing an 'amazing prices!' sign above the chiller unit, never one to pass up a bargain. As he walked over, he heard a few shoppers gasp upon spotting him, but he didn't let it bother him.

Reaching forward, he picked up some premium chicken. "Woah, only ¥166 for 200 gram?". Without a moments hesitation, Saitama put the meat into his basket, claiming it. He could make some oyakodon. Now he just needed some more soy sauce, eggs and onions...

Faint music played in the store, with his own footfalls the only other sound he could hear. He knew for a fact that he hadn't got the shop all to himself. As he rounded the corner into the next aisle, he stopped, chocolate hues watching inquisitively from under the hood as a couple taking refuge there quickly bolted, dropping their basket with a clatter and leaving the shop promptly.

Seeing the two together brought thoughts of his soulmate to the forefront of his mind. Remembering all those years ago to that hot Summers day, when he called out in the park, to then receive a response, it had made his day. ' _I wonder where they are right now.. what're they up to?_ '.

Without his soulmate in his life, it was rather... lonely.. and he wasn't getting any younger. ' _I wonder if they like to hunt for good bargains too_ ', he pondered as he plucked a box of discounted teabags off the shelf, popping it into his basket.

Nonetheless, Saitama continued on with his shopping, shuffling from aisle to aisle, ignoring the other shoppers and just wanting to go home already. Managing to find everything he needed, he headed to the checkouts, after a bag for the goods he'd picked out.

The female at the checkout tensed as she saw the villain heading her way. She looked like she wanted to run, various other options flitting through her head, with the safest possible one being to stay and just help the villain out. The sooner he was served, the sooner he left the store, right?

"Did you find everything you needed, sir?", she dared to ask out of pure politeness. He was still a customer after all. A mumbled "yeah" was all she received in response, as though it was an afterthought.

Saitama emptied the contents of the basket onto the counter and the female started bagging them for him. Only whilst wearing his villain outfit did he get free stuff. He'd pay any other day.

A plumpish man seemingly appeared out of nowhere beside Saitama, both he and the cashier looking to him quizzically, confused over the intrusion, unnerving the woman even moreso. This just wasn't her day...

"Give me all the money you've got", the strange man ordered in a hushed tone as he leaned forwards to her, hands remaining in his jacket pockets.

' _Wow, that was straightforward and to the point. He's not even disguised himself'_ , Saitama scrutinised in his head, looking the man over, unmoving. Whatever was happening, he didn't want any part of it...

"I'm sorry, sir, but I can't do that", she told him, her soft voice trembling as she spoke despite her calm facade. As she told him this, she discreetly moved her hand to press a button under her till to alert the authorities. The thief spotted the movement however, whipping a knife out of his pocket in a panic and stabbed her in the stomach, pushing her aside.

She stumbled backwards a few steps, clutching her bleeding wound with one hand as she held on to her checkout for stability. The man then clambered over to the till to steal whatever money resided in there. That is, until something strong gripped his wrist painfully tight, holding him back.

Looking over his shoulder at the hooded male, he snarled. "Let go of me, freak, and scram, or do you want to be stabbed too?", he threatened, his free hand containing the knife coming round to swipe across at Saitama's face, narrowly missing it.

"A freak, you say?". The guy obviously didn't recognise him.

In a swift movement, Saitama tore the knife from his hand and punched the criminal away from the cashier with the other fist, watching as he slammed against the wall a few meters away from them, an indent left from the impact.

In just a few strides, Saitama was at the man's side where he lay slumped on the floor, holding his bloodied nose. Saitama crouched down beside him, the man still reeling, in shock from the punch.

With mock interest, Saitama looked at the knife now in his own hand. It still had the cashiers blood on it. "Wow, it's pretty sharp, huh", he spoke, turning it this way and that as he held it up in front of his face.

His attention then shifted back to the man beside him, Saitama's deadly gaze meeting wide green eyes. The guy seemed to be too panicked to even move.

"Wanna know what that poor women felt when you stabbed her?", Saitama asked him, leaning in and poking at various points of the man's stomach teasingly.

The man on the floor shook his head side to side furiously, desperately hoping that the hooded male wouldn't follow through with his threat. His body visibly trembled in fear. "You're crazy!", he exclaimed, his feet scuffling on the floor as he tried to back away from him, but he had nowhere to go.

Overlooking the man's rudeness, the villain shrugged his shoulders. "That's too bad, cuz I think you should. An eye for an eye, right?", he spoke darkly as he then proceeded to press the blade through the material and penetrated the males flesh, sinking it a couple of inches into his stomach, causing him to yowl in agony.

The man grabbed at Saitama's arm in a desperate attempt to remove the knife out of his stomach. "Pull it out! Please! It hurts!". However, no matter how hard he tried, Saitama's hand didn't budge, a wicked grin tugging at the villains lips seeing the fear in the man's eyes.

The knife sank deeper still. With a slight twist of the blade, it earned a guteral cry from the victim, wincing as he felt even more seering white hot pain, his nails digging into Saitama's flesh, but he was unable to break the skin.

"You could've killed her", the low voice above him spoke, the dark shadow of his attacker looming over him. "And for what? Maybe 30 thousand yen? How pathetic. Now you'll be charged for attempted murder. Was it worth it?".

Turning his head to look over his shoulder, Saitama saw the female now slumped on the floor against the counter, clutching her side, blood covering her hands and clothing where the wound was. Just looking at her, she appeared to be on the verge of passing out, face paling.

Saitama's brows furrowed deeper, his attention returning to the criminal beneath him. "She's in pretty bad shape because of _you_ ", he hissed, pushing the knife another inch deeper for emphasis, knowing he was puncturing an organ or two at least.

A blood curdling cry escaped the males lips as he tilted his head back, eyes screwed shut. Saitama canted his head, bored expression returning to his face. "What're you gonna do about it?".

"I-I don't—".

"Should I let you live? You were real selfish when you decided to stab her, all for your own gain".

"Ple-please-!", begged the older male, trembling from shock.

"Please? That's not the word she's after. I think you have an idea of which one it is", Saitama uttered callously.

Green eyes looked passed his aggressor to the female on the floor who was still bleeding where she lay. "I'm s-sorry", he drawled, looking rather pale faced himself.

"That's more like it", the bald man answered, withdrawing the knife from his victim before standing up. He watched as the man closed his eyes, falling silent. "How lame, he passed out on me", Saitama scoffed.

Glancing down at the knife in his hand, he watched as a few droplets of blood dripped from its blade. He then turned his attention back to his victim on the floor with a look of indifference. With a limp flick of his wrist, he tossed the knife onto the floor beside the man, the object clattering on the ground, spinning to a stop.

Turning on his heel, Saitama ambled towards the female, crouching beside her. He reached out, brushing some of her auburn hair from her face as he canted his head. She was out cold too, poor thing.

The bald male opened his mouth, ready to ask for assistance, when a loud siren sounded outside, catching Saitama's attention. "This is an important announcement from the Hero Association..-", the female voice spoke across the tannoy system throughout the city, alerting citizens of a monster in the area.

No soon as the few remaining onlookers heard the announcement, they all left their hiding places within the store, some crying out in fear. They fled as fast as they could, with Saitama watching on incredulously.

"H-hey, wait!", he called, but it was no use. They weren't listening to him. ' _Narcissistic bastards_...'.

With a heavy sigh, he stood up, looking around from where he stood, wondering what to do for the injured shop assistant. On the floor near the exit, something glinted, catching his eye. In their rush to leave the supermarket, someone had dropped their phone, so Saitama walked over and bent down, picking it up. "What're the chances, huh...", he mumbled to himself. Flipping the phone open, he called the emergency services for the female on the floor, not much caring for the criminal not too far away from her.

Knowing that they would be on their way, Saitama placed the phone on the counter and crouched by the female once more. "I know you can't hear me, but you're gonna be alright. I promise...".

Standing, Saitama bagged the rest of his items and headed out the automatic doors, setting the store alarm off with the stolen items. The streets were darker now with the sun being obscured by the ominous dark clouds above.

Ahead of him, it was pandemonium, cars doing U-turns, civilians rushing passed him, running away from what he could only presume was the monster the association had warned them about, sirens from various emergency services were getting closer. It couldn't be too far away.

Holding his shopping bag tight, the villain ran into the flow of people, his hood whipped off his head from the breeze rushing passed his speedy form, heading to where they were running from. He bumped into some civilians as he ran, shopping bag brim jostled about.

"Watch it!", he called out, blaming them.

Some recognised him, shrieking out his presence to others, causing even more panic on the streets. Saitama just rolled his eyes and forged ahead. As he did so, he rubbed lightly at his left forearm, feeling a minor itch there.

After running for a few minutes, the streets grew less and less populated, soon falling eerily quiet. The monster had already been through this street, rubble littered all along the road and underfoot. A screeching noise was heard just up ahead, breaking the silence.

 _'_ _That must be it_ '.


	9. All in due time

Saitama skidded to a halt in his tracks, unable to ignore the growing irritation on his left forearm. Pulling his glove down and his sleeve up to reveal his wrist, he saw that the numbers on his countdown had hit the 30 seconds mark, his soulmates arrival imminent.

With a frown, he stared in disbelief, watching as the seconds steadily ticked by, just in case he was seeing things. Much to his chagrin, it kept counting down. ' _What the-.. Are you kidding me? Now?_ '.

Immediately, he snapped his head up and looked all around him frantically, scowling. ' _But there's no one here!_ '. Everyone had evacuated this part of the city already thanks to the warnings given out by the Hero Association.

As he removed his glove, a recurring thought popped into his head, one of which had plagued his mind for the last few years on and off.

' _What if villains weren't supposed to have soul mates after all?_ '

Maybe his countdown would stop at zero and nothing would happen because of who he was now. He remembered the couple he saw in the store. Perhaps fate just wanted to tease him, dangle the carrot before yanking it away at the last second, making him think he had a soulmate waiting, when in actuality, he hadn't. Villains didn't deserve love anyway, right? No one would show up, especially not when their soulmate was Caped Darkness. That's just how life goes for a villain. Or is it?

Disappointment started to creep up on him, his blackened heart sinking. The feeling made him feel a tad queazy. And yet, it had also peaked his curiosity. Glancing at his wrist again, he watched the clock count down the seconds. _19, 18, 17_...

"Not long to go...", he mumbled to himself. Giving a shrug, he placed his grocery bag down by his feet and crossed his arms. "Alright then, I'm game. May as well see what happens. What's the worst that could happen? I've got nothing left to lose".

Chocolate hues scanned the area from the pile of rubble on which he stood. His ears picked up on a sound not too far away. Just as he was about to investigate, he felt something pitter patter on his bald head, distracting him. He lifted his bare hand and held it out in front of him, and sure enough, he felt a few droplets of rain litter his palm.

Within seconds, the heavens then opened, fat rain droplets beginning to pour heavily from above, pelting the villain. The sky and the surroundings beneath it grew duller as the sun disappeared behind the dark clouds. With an exaggerated sigh and a groan, Saitama pulled his cape's hood over his head.

"Just my damn luck. I left my umbrella at home too".

* * *

"Incinerate!"

In a blast of heat from his palm, flames burst out towards the enemy with deadly accuracy, but the unfortunate reality for him was that the enemy he was facing appeared unaffected by the heat.

He grit his teeth, brows furrowing in frustration as the worm-like monster opened and closed its brown claws almost mockingly, both of which then thrusting towards him.

"Brute force it is then", the blonde stated as he back flipped a safe distance away from the reaching pincer attack. Its two thick tails swished around carelessly, slamming against the surrounding buildings, causing destruction.

 ** _Beep_**! The sound, along with a notification window flashing up on Genos' interface, caught him off guard, causing him to go off balance a fraction as he came to a wobbly stop.

It was a countdown, with less than 30 seconds on it. ' _What's that all about?_ '. Perplexed by it, he closed the notification. What it was counting down to, he didn't know. And right now, he didn't really care as it wasn't important. He had a monster to kill, and not only that, but it had started to rain, making it slippery under foot, adding to his problems.

With no caution or any real strategy thought out, he began sprinting headlong towards the dangerous monster, before then launching from the ground in preparation for a combination attack.

"Machin-"

A giant claw slammed into his left arm and chest at lightning speed with unpredictedly tremendous force, knocking him flying. With an almighty smash, he slammed backwards into the side of a high rise building almost 300 meters away from the enemy, glass shattering from his elbow smashing a window upon impact. A grunt came from the cyborg as he limply fell face down on to the ground like a ragdoll with a clunk and clatter, landing on the dirty floor beneath him, rendering him still.

* * *

"Shit!"

The unexpectedly loud sound from behind him caught Saitama unawares, startling him and breaking him from his thoughts. He spun around to see what had created such a noise, in time to see what appeared to be a metal man fall from the side of a building down the road, landing motionless on his front. ' _Where_ _the hell did he appear from? Was he the one that caused that noise just now?_ '

Hopping from the pile of rubble, he then leapt to the top of a still standing grocery store not too far away from the lifeless form to get a closer look. He crouched down, in the hopes of going unnoticed, cape fluttering behind him in the cool breeze as it rained.

Squinting, he saw dirty blonde hair in the now dim lighting, positive that he recognised the prone figure. ' _That's Demon Cyborg from the Hero Association_ '. He looked to be in bad shape too. One arm appeared to be hanging by just a few wires, bright sparks spitting and flickering around the shoulder joint from the broken electrical connections. Saitama could only just make out his face as it was turned to the side. Visible crack lines were littered across his pseudo-skin, some having flaked off of his cheek from what he could see from where he was situated. The tank top he was wearing was torn on his back, revealing a dent on one of his shoulderblades. Small plumes of smoke came from the various vents along his arms and shoulders.

Dare he approach him right now? He would take great pleasure in destroying what was left of the young S-class cyborg, putting him out of his misery. ' _No, no. Patience. All in due time. Time... Wait-!_ ' Saitama raised his wrist to check his countdown. His blood ran cold, feeling somewhat nauseous. It had hit zero, the numbers beginning to gradually fade away.

Dumbfounded, he looked back to the hero laying motionless on the ground, rain pitter pattering loudly against his metal body. There was no one else around, only Demon Cyborg.

' _What the- Are you fucking kidding me? There's no way! A hero!? That's impossible!_ '

Saitama ground his teeth, glowering towards the now struggling blonde in disbelief. Inside, he was seething. There was no way his soulmate could be some glorified robotic hero. He wouldn't allow it.


	10. Do villiains deserve love?

Coming to, Genos groaned, opening his eyes. As he started to scan his surroundings to get a baring on where he was, his vision distorted and flickered before plunging his world into complete and utter darkness. The impact appeared to have loosened a wire, which, if he managed to escape alive, would need repairing later with Doctor Kuseno's expertise.

Running a quick diagnostics check, his other senses still appeared operational, seemingly heightened due to the lack of his visual sense.

Along with the almost deafening sound of rain pelting down on his metallic arms, he could hear the deep moan of the monster up ahead of him, feeling the earth beneath him tremble as it closed the distance between them slowly.

' _Shit, come back online!_ ', he cursed, willing his sight to return after losing it at such an inopportune time.

As if on command, his vision returned, although not returning in full HD. He worried this would hamper his precision and depth perception; a temporary setback but he would have to make do with it for now.

Numerous warnings began bombarding his field of vision, along with the previous countdown window popping back up, only now, it read zero, flashing in red. Genos closed each and every notification box as fast as he could. That one box, the countdown, was the main thing bothering him. He couldn't remember setting a timer for anything. Had Dr. Kuseno done it? If so, why? What was it for? It came with no description for the event. He would definitely need to speak to the doctor to see if it was perhaps a malfunction or indeed necessary for something, a reminder maybe.

Shrugging it off for the time being, he tried to move, wanting to finish this fight and get his repairs done. He had already allowed the fight to drag on for far too long.

As he shifted, he didn't feel the leverage required in his left arm to lift himself completely from the soaking ground.

Using his right arm to lift himself a little, he turned his attention to the other arm, really wishing he had paid attention to the warnings. The arm was dangerously close to becoming detached at the elbow, hanging on by just a handful of wires. He wouldn't be able use it, having no sensation in it.

His eyes caught sight of another notable piece of damage. This time, it was to his right chest panel covering his core. The cyborg grimaced. The force from being hit by the monsters claw had managed to dent the chest plate, revealing a sliver of glowing electric blue light, illuminating his chest, the cyborg now becoming a beacon in the bleak surroundings.

Regardless, Genos decided to push on, not wanting to give up. Just up ahead, he could make out the monster steadily crawling its way closer to him, baring its teeth hungrily, or was it out of rage? Either way, it proceeded on its warpath, a trail of drool and slime marking the route it had travelled.

Feebly, Genos forced his limbs to move, pushing himself up on to his one hand and his knees, sitting back on his hind legs before then standing, a slight stagger to his step as he regained his balance after the fall.

Calculating the distance between himself and the monster as best as he could, the cyborg broke into a sprint, his one arm trailing behind loosely as he accelerated towards the creature at an incredible speed. Rain droplets and the air around him brushed through his blonde hair, sweeping it from his face to reveal dangerous glowing golden hues.

Just as it looked as though they would clash head on, Genos then used his hand and shoulder thrusters to change direction at the last millisecond, upsetting the miscreation below, which now looked incredibly irritated by the cyborgs very presence, its roar proof that it was seething.

The maneuvre all seemed very well and good in Genos' head, but his asumptions were wrong. Originally, he had expected the enemy's reaction times to be slow due to its sheer size, but he was so very wrong, especially after suffering from its previous attack.

Again, he hadn't learned. He just kept forging ahead recklessly, making foolhardy decisions which ended up with him returning time and time again to Dr. Kuseno for repairs, the older man chiding him. It was never his intention to make him worry so much.

With a thunderous outcry of a deep roar, the monster turned its head at lightning speed, its razor sharp teeth sinking into the teen with ease, taking most of his left side into its mouth, cutting clean through him in mid-air with a yank.

Wide eyed, aghast, Genos was taken aback by allowing such a thing happen. How could it have kept up with his movements? His sensors hadn't been able to track such a swift motion. Stopped in his tracks, the blonde dropped to the ground flat on his back with a heavy thunk from the monsters mouth like a disposed ragdoll once again.

Lifting his head, eyes narrow, he saw the extent of the damage caused. It didn't look good at all. Sparks radiated and skittered where part of his torso was now gone. His once barely attached forearm was now missing. His left leg, however, was nonexistent, a portion of hip and abdomen also gone. The creature had taken a very big bite out of him.

The persistent warnings were again discarded by the irked cyborg. He wouldn't admit defeat. Not yet. He had to keep fighting, as he was the only one there to fight the creature, the closest S-class hero in the area. This was _his_ fight .

Genos' body gave an awful creak and a tremor as he sat up. Scowling at the beast, he could only watch as it swallowed the limbs it had bitten off. It looked pleased with its accomplishment.

Raising his remaining arm, palm facing the monster, Genos grit his teeth. He needed to bide his time to get his revenge on the beast. It was a long shot that may not even work, but it was worth a try.

Breathing hotly, it approached, its glare fixated on the tattered cyborg below, the look equally returned by the blonde. It loomed over him in a way of intimidation, a blob of drool landing on Genos' cheek, nauseating the teen. Thankfully, it was gradually washed away by the rain. He couldn't allow that to distract him though. Seeing the maw open again and ready to bite, Genos took his only chance left; the soft insides of the monster just had to be its weakness.

"Incinerate!". Giving it all he'd got, the heated beam shot from his hand, straight into his enemy's mouth, much to its displeasure. The roar was almost deafening, yet Genos tolerated it in the hopes of vanquishing the being.

Determination kept the male going, his attack having finally hit a weak spot, causing the monster pain. The attack was a strain on Genos' core, a warning popping up to notify him of this as the light shone through his damaged chest panels, burning brighter, illuminating the pair in a bluish white light.

The large creature squirmed backwards away from the cyborg, its claws moving to cover its mouth, deflecting the incineration cannon beam off of them and towards a building, causing an explosion of bricks and other debris to rain down upon impact.

In an instant, the monster then propelled itself towards Genos, ready to kill its prey. It seemed to have had enough of playing games. The blonde couldn't take his widening golden eyes off of the creature as it grew closer, seeing it all happen in slow motion. Arm still outstretched, the heated beam faded away from his palm.

' _Will this be my grave?_ _'_.

 ** _SPLOOSH_**!

Genos flinched, screwing his eyes shut as the beast exploded into huge, gooey meaty chunks. He moved his arm to cover his face. Pieces rained down and splattered all around him, some ever bouncing off of him. His stomach would have lurched if it was possible.

' _Did the pieces it bit off explode inside it?'_

When he was sure there was no more to fall, Genos lowered his arm, eyes opening to survey the area, glowing gold in the dim light. His eyes narrowed upon seeing a hooded figure standing in the rain, right where the monster once stood mere meters away. ' _Wait. Was he the one that killed it? With a single hit?_ '

The figure bent down to pick something up, followed by another, tucking them under his arm, then looked his way, an ominous grin at his lips. "You're a reckless one, aren't you? Just look at the state you've gotten yourself into".

Leisurely, the man padded over to Genos. His attire was black, while his gloves, boots and cape were a deep red. ' _Burgundy was it?_ '. Needless to say, the male held an intimidating air about him.

"Was it _you_ who killed that thing?", Genos asked in a somewhat strained tone.

A chuckle rumbled from the stranger. "I couldn't exactly allow a monster to take credit for the death of an S-class hero now, could I? That's _my_ job... I take it _these_ are yours?".

The hooded male stopped before the unmoving blonde, dropping a robotic arm and leg to the ground with a heavy clatter. He then crouched down and leaned in to be mere inches from Genos' face, invading his personal space. He reached out and gripped the cyborg's messy wet blonde hair tightly in his gloved fist, tilting the males head left and right with ease, observing the damage to his face, tutting almost mockingly.

Genos kept his eyes locked on the mysterious males own, staring with a frown as his head was moved this way and that.

"Not gonna to put up a fight?", asked the hooded male in a relatively hushed tone.

The cyborgs eyes narrowed at the antagonistic question, instead asking his own. "Who are you?".

Chocolate hues gazed back with murderous intent along with a smirk. ' _This is my supposed soulmate?_ '. "I'm sure you've heard of Caped Darkness?".

' _Wait a second. This is Caped Darkness?_ '. Of course he knew the name. The villain was best known for his destructive power and unimaginable strength. There were vague reports of him. He was scarcely on sight if he could help it. Any photos obtained were mostly a blur of black and red, his face never captured on a clear photo. He was untraceable, mysterious, dangerous; the perfect criminal.

The alerts would sound all across the city and civilians would hide or evacuate upon hearing this. Any unfortunate victims caught up in the fracas would be too panicked, injured or afraid to notice the villain, focusing on their escape. The heroes involved couldn't keep up with him, never managing to see enough of his appearance before he knocked them out or killed them there and then. The last thing they ever saw was a male with a sickening grin and demonic glint in his eyes peering from beneath the hood.

He was thought to be on par with a dragon level, with no one really knowing the limit of his power. In the past, with him disappearing right after a fight with a monster, no one knew of where he resided. He was too fast and discreet for anyone to trail him. He was a wanted man with a bounty on his head. The Hero Assosiation hadn't wanted him dead, but alive, so that they could question him, with indefinite confinement thereafter for everyone's safety.

For Genos, to be in possession of such strength that this man had, he could only dream of it and strive to attain and wield such power. The man in front of him had what he needed in order to destroy the robot and avenge his family's deaths. He needed to know his secret.

The longer Genos stared, he couldn't help but feel strangely attracted to the villain. There was something seemingly drawing him in. And it wasn't just the thought of his abilities. He just couldn't quite put his finger on it...

A sharp yank of his hair pulled him from his thoughts. "Stop looking at me like that. It's weird", the villain murmured, the smirk having vanished, now replaced by a look of awkwardness and unease.

' _Was I staring_ _?_ '. Well, who wouldn't? He just couldn't help looking in admiration, even if this man was a villain. He knew he shouldn't, being a hero and all, but this man had the level of strength he desired, had sought desperately for so long. Despite him being the most wanted villain in the world right now, Genos just had to ask, he needed to know.

"Tell me how you attained such power and strength", the cyborg demanded.

Tilting his head, the villain then let out a forced "Ha!" at the blonde, not taking his eyes off of him. "Are you serious? Like I'd tell _you_ ! You're a hero. You're no different than any of those other damn heroes! You're all the same, even if you are my-...". He stopped himself before he said anything more.

Leaning in closer, the villains eyes narrowed, looking into those of the cyborg. Their noses were almost touching, just mere millimetres away. "Give me one damn good reason why I should spare you", he growled, his voice almost incoherent as he hissed out his words. Maybe it was because he was his soulmate that he felt a little pity towards him. Normally by now, he would've destroyed any other hero. But not Genos.

Genos could feel the animosity radiating off this man. Checking his energy level, he cursed upon seeing the numbers that flickered up; 44%. Not only that, he was at a disadvantage, only having 2 functioning limbs. He was in no shape to fight this man right now, not with the power he'd just witnessed. That, and he couldn't think of a reason as to why he should be spared.

For now, reluctantly, he had to stand down and admit defeat, as frustrating as it was. Remaining quiet, he closed his eyes, hearing a snort from the villain as he did so.

"Giving up, Demon Cyborg? You're not much of a threat after all. What a waste of my time. Maybe you should be downgraded from S class".

He had searched for too long now, for an opponent strong enough to take him on, to make things interesting, to put up a good fight, to bring out some sort of emotion from him, but the cyborg, his soulmate, wasn't the one.

With a rough shove, Caped Darkness let go of Genos' hair, the cyborg letting out a huff from the force, falling back onto his elbow. Opening his gloved hand, golden synthetic fibres fluttered from within the villains grasp, falling one by one to the wet ground in front of Genos, causing his frown to deepen, clenching his teeth.

The hooded figure rose from his haunches and began walking away, rain still falling down around them, not showing signs of letting up any time soon. The squelching that came from each footfall was the only noise the villain made, no words. He was finished with Genos, that much was obvious.

Anger bubbled within the blonde. Aiming his hand to the others retreating back, the cyborg fired a powerful blast from his remaining incineration cannon out of pure rage.

It engulfed the villain completely. He held the blast for all of a few seconds before it died off. Golden hues widened as they found no trace of the villain. "Where did he-".

Laughter erupted behind the grounded hero, startling him. "Your face was an absolute picture just now!". The villain walked back to be in front of now infuriated looking Genos, wiping a fake tear from an eye as he loomed over the hero. "Did you really think I didn't expect such an underhanded attack with my back turned?".

The males face suddenly went all serious, chocolate hues showing no hint of mirth anymore. He looked down at his own body, checking himself over. That was when he noticed a faint scorch mark on his cape. "You burned it".

His gaze was dark and piercing as he looked back to Genos. "You're so presumptuous. Have you always been this rash? Your recklessness appears to be your downfall. You should've given up when I gave you the chance".

"Are you going to kill me?".

"The look on your face suggests you're asking me to".

The cyborg's lips pressed into a thin line as he watched the villain in silence.

Heaving a sigh, the villain stood up straight and started to turn to leave. "What a waste of time you turned out to be".

Genos saw his chance slipping away. He couldn't just let the strong male leave like that. "Please, tell me your name!", he called out suddenly.

Saitama stopped in his tracks at the question and looked back. Behind him, golden irises remained fixed on him with an unwavering intensity, awaiting his answer.

He hesitated for longer than he'd liked to. This being was his soulmate. Fate had brought them together and by the stars, they were meant for each other. And yet, they were poles apart. Villain and Hero. They were enemies. How was a relationship between them supposed to work out?

The more he thought about it, the more he felt his depression creeping back up. Casting his gaze down, unable to look at the blonde hero, his voice came out, making him wonder if the cyborg even heard it over the sound of the heavy rain.

"It's Saitama..".

Genos had no trouble picking up the hushed voice. He read his lips too, just to be sure.

" _Saitama"_ .

The name seemed to roll off his tongue like velvet. Saitama heard his tone perfectly over the noise around him. Hearing someone say his name for the first time in years, his soulmate being the one to do so, he felt his body shiver. It felt alien to him, feeling emotions bubbling up in him that had lay dormant. This wasn't good...

In the blink of an eye, the man disappeared before the cyborgs very eyes, unable to track his movement.

' _Such speed..._ '. Was there no end to this mans talent? They had only just met, but already, Genos admired the man's strength and power overall. But he had to keep reminding himself that this was a villain he was dealing with. One with deadly power. He wanted to find out more about this man.

Taking a moment, he realized something. ' _I'm the only hero who Caped D-Saitama's spared_ '. It was best to keep this information to himself.

He would need to get back and repaired as fast as possible if he was to pursue the villain. An extensive restoration was required to be back in full fighting form. Giving the good Dr. Kuseno a call, the cyborg awaited the drones arrival to take him back for home. Once back at the lab, he would need to enquire about the countdown sequence he'd seen during his fight.

Laying himself back down on the muddy wet ground, Genos closed his eyes, feeling the rain pattering along his mechanical body, finding it soothing.

' _Until we meet again, Saitama_ _..'_.


End file.
